More than two. Someone has to approve the research grant, someone has to “peer review” the research findings to make certain they support policy, someone has to nominate the “scientist” for a Nobel or Crafoord Prize, and someone has to help the “scientist” figure out where Stockholm is located.

One guy NOT enjoying the sunshine is ex President Nasheed. Did a quick search and seems he’s spending 13 years in prison for “terrorism”. More surprising is that the situation is very current since Amal Clooney was in the Maldives TODAY (9/8) to see Nasheed, although you would think by the article it was really a fashion opportunity more than a visit to a political prisoner:

However smartly Amal is dressed, it seems that this all ties to some serious $ regarding airports with a few muslim extremists thrown in:
– 2010: Our scuba diving President Nasheed signed a deal with an Indian firm to run the Male terminal and entire airport for 25 years.
– In Feb 2012 He was overthrown by the previous dictator Gayoom at the end of months of protests presumably caused by a failing economy (telling the world your tourism dependent country is underwater apparently is not good for business) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_Maldives_political_crisis
– In the footnotes to the above, one article online catches the eye: Maldives president ousted in US-backed coup http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/02/mald-f10.html
– Interestingly, he US Government recognized the new Maldives Administration almost immediately
– That article also claimed for what it’s worth: “The opposition—including Gayoom’s Maldivian People’s Party (MPP) and the Muslim extremist Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) of Hassan Saeed—called protests when on January 16 Nasheed ordered the military to arrest Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed. The judge had obtained the release of DQP Vice President Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, whom Nasheed wanted detained on charges of slander. Ahmed had reportedly said that Nasheed was insane, a Christian, and promoting vice.”
– At the end of 2012 we read about four new airports that had opened that year, all no more than six feet above sea level https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/maldives-opening-four-new-underwater-airports/
– 2012: about that same time the new management voided the contract with the Indians http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323401904578156420669928546
– 2015: Earlier this year the Chinese have stepped in to “triple passenger handling” capability (two-thirds of Maldives’ economy is tourism) in Male including a second runway, new terminal, built and funded by the Japanese, and a new bridge to the capital from the airport, totaling over $843 M of investment (so Amal won’t need private yacht to get over from the airport).

All this development is to be done by 2017 and The Maldives Airport Co Ltd “will earn $410 million in revenue in 2017 as a result of the redevelopment.” According to the MACL website: “MACL is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the President of the Maldives.”

Nasheed was not a big enough thinker apparently and not good at appointing the right people. With that kind of $$$ at stake, expect him to be underwater for a while longer.